Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-09

mission but not the people of Minnesota, for
and other cities and towns of
hat State, promptly rejected the books re
by the commission and adopted
he Pathfnders.
Vermont should be congratulated that the
commission appointed to select similar books
for that State confined themselves to the
performance of their legitimate duty, the |
examination of books, and refused to give |
audience to book agents who for sclt-interest |
would dcfamc motives that are above their
comprehension.
I'm an address before one Of the recent
great Boston Monday fremont Temple au-
diences. Joseph Cook said Mrs. Hu 1T
seems to be set for the defence of the chill
dren of the present generation and so for
the salv alton of the republic which they are
soon to rule As the head of her depart
ment. she is pioneer of that great reform,
the importation of scientific instruction to
the youth of the ruin resulting from alcohol
and narcotics "Thirty-two states and
territories have now been brought under
laws requiring such instruction. Had it
not been for the almost, if not quite, inspir-
cd career of this Massachusetts, lady, ! know
not that for centuries yet we should have
been brought up 10 this high table land of
reform"
\ southern Presbyterian journal pub
lished in Georgia, commenting on this work
of Mrs. Hunt says 1T may well be doubt
ed if in the providence of God, it has ever
been allotted to one woman to achieve a re-
suit so tremendous so far-reaching and
brnefcicnt as this which has been accom-
plishcd 10y this elect lady
I'm pursuance of this work. Mrs. Hunt has
had the courage to publicly oppose text books
that do not contain the truths she and the
| W. c. T. I. consider essential to temperance
education in public schools The antagon-
ism of not only the great monied interests
! in liquor. who do not want the children
taught temperate, but also of the tremen-
dous power represented by certain school
text book publishing houses and their agents,
is thus aroused and they strike back by ma
ligning her motives. But if these books fall
short of what should be taught to save the
children from drunkenness Mrs. Hunt and
the ladies she represents can do no less.
Posterity will bless her courage.
An attempt to prove that her work is &C.
tuated by selfish and pecuniary motives and
thus to weaken public confidence i'll il, is the
pith of this Minnesota attack.
Wea are informed that the commission now
diSclaim referring to her when they say in
their report they are convinced that pc
cuiaIy advantage to parties interested has
furnished the support of this movement.
I'm diSclaiming this. the commission really
take the whole thing back and Mr. Hunt
can afford to ignore them if they have not
the m1ulinc,s To- reconstruct their entire re
port as the Burlington FREE PREEs suggest
ed they ought in its article of July22. Two
points where the Vermont papers are mis-
taken are answered 10y Mrs. Hunt herself in
the following extract from Il letter;
The intimation of the Montpelier Argits
and Patriot that in securing temperance leg
lslatiOn, have been paid lobbyist is simply
ridiculous IN view of the facts.
| have been paid fOrmy lectures before pub
lie audiences just as the minister is paid for
preaching; as Mrs. LivermOre, Joseph Cook.
John B. Cough and other public speakers
have been paid for such speaking. But so
Tar from having been paid for my legislative
work, which has put temperance education
laws on the statute book of this country,
have on the contrary o ten given from the
proceeds of my lectures Il percentage to the
local secretary or superintendent who was
managing the campaign, to help defray the
expenses incident to printing circulars, petit
tions, etc. used in securing The law. To this
experience of tine last ton years there has
been but one exception. In Pennfylyania,
the w. c. Il. L. insisted on paying ms in full
lCr V services
The w. c. r. L. pays its national supern-
tcndents no salaries and gives them no mon
les in any way to meet expenses incident to
the conduct of their work. They are IN this
respect literally to make bricks without
straw" or to furnish the straw themselves.
The growth Of the scientific department. hAs
50 increased IFS expenses, win It's cDrrcSpOn-
dcncc /, lang the earth. that the Vermont
W. {. T. L. ur,pused II help ont on those en-
prnscs by paying for the time spent at Mout-
pc.icr last tHii, especially in view OF the fact
thAt gave the fix months usually devoted to
platform WORK the winter before in Washing
you 10 secure the passage of the National
Temperance Educational law and was to 20
back To Washington the ensuing whit r for
/ Similar work on similar terms in the effort to
secure Fedora Aid to establish schools that
might teach Temperance snd other things in
otherwise neglected portions OF our country.
The .lrgltS will, however, doubtless feel
relieved to know that this proposition has lot
yet been carried out aud that for any Legis-
| iatNe work have e'cr done in that State up
/ to dare, have never received a dollar of
Vermont money. when | do, such mO' CY
will 90 directly into other temperance work"
The Argus or other Vermont papers,
have | am Informed. criticized the zeal and
| perseverance, of this work. ] was trained a
| Calvnist. Taught TO believe in the persc-
verance ofthe saints and that the saints
ought to perSevere. But if twenty-five
| years hence, the Vermont boys who shall be
| taught to abhor strong drink, through her
| schools make complaint of the perseverance
that secured that teaching for them | will
then join my regrets to theirs and report to
the Argus But meantime we propose to
| ''perscvere' with the same zeal until there
is free public school that is teaching total
abstinence to every child in the republic,
because this republic must outlaw the saloon
or the saloon will make us a nation Of out
laws. 4. If the republic of tomorrow is trained
to total-abstnence in the schools to-day, it
will outlaw the saloon tomorrow.
NJ. +. l..
rba EIectric LIGHT Oue.tion